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Young jackdaw swallows tweezers
xray
The vets believe that someone may have been hand-feeding the little jackdaw.

Little bird overzealously bit off more than he could chew.

The RSPCA has dealt with one of the most bizarre cases involving a juvenile Jackdaw and a pair of tweezers.

The wildlife vets present when the jackdaw was presented have described the case as “the most incredible recovery”.

Wildlife vet Dr Bev Panto said: “When I saw the X-rays and the size of the tweezers he had swallowed, I thought there was absolutely no chance this poor jackdaw could survive.

"The tweezers stretched the whole length of his digestive system - right from his crop to his intestines and the sharp ends were piercing through his skin.”

The vets believe that someone may have been hand-feeding the little jackdaw and that he may have overzealously bitten off more than he could chew.

Following a complex and delicate surgery to remove the tweezers through his stomach, vets spent a tense period waiting to see whether he would recover, and recover he did. Vets say he is “right as rain” and feeding well.

Dr Panto said: “How such a small bird can survive such a traumatic incident, and then undergo major surgery and appear fighting fit the next day, is quite incredible.”

The team at the RSPCA say he has a long way to go but hope to see him through to release.

Image (C) RSPCA

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Equine Disease Surveillance report released for Q4 2025

News Story 1
 The latest Equine Disease Surveillance report has been released, with details on equine disease from Q4 of 2025.

The report, produced by Equine Infectious Disease Surveillance, includes advice on rule changes for equine influenza vaccination.

Statistics and maps detail recent outbreaks of equine herpes virus, equine influenza, equine strangles and equine grass sickness. A series of laboratory reports provides data on virology, bacteriology, parasitology and toxicosis.

This issue also features a case study of orthoflavivus-associated neurological disease in a horse in the UK. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
NSA webinar explores sheep tailing and castration

The National Sheep Association (NSA) is to host a free webinar on the castration and tail docking of lambs.

The webinar, 'Understanding the tailing and castration consultation: A guide for sheep farmers', will be hosted online on Monday, 2 March 2026 at 7.30pm.

It comes during a government consultation into the methods used for these procedures. Farmers are encouraged to engage before the consultation period closes on Monday, 9 March 2026.

The webinar offers clear and actionable guidance to support farmers to contribute meaningfully to the consultation and prepare for potential changes.

On the panel will be former SVS president Kate Hovers, farmer and vet Ann Van Eetvelt and SRUC professor in Animal Health and Veterinary Sciences Cathy Dwyer. Each panel member will utilise their own specialism and expertise to evaluate risks and outcomes to sheep farming.

Find out more about the webinar on the NSA website.